AR 8801 – HUMAN SETTLEMENT PLANNING

UNIT I INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

Introduction to planning as a discipline and brief evolution of the profession. Elements of human
settlements. Human beings and settlements. Nature, shells and net works- their functions and
linkages. Anatomy and classification of human settlements- location, resource based, population
size and occupational structure.

INTRODUCTION TO PLANNING AS A DISCIPLINE :

Objectives of planning discipline
The main objective is to improve the physical pattern of a geographical unit to satisfy social, economic and
aesthetic consideration. There are 4 main aspects considered in human settlement planning which are
listed below

Well – balance Social and Economic Development

Improvement of Life quality
Responsible administration of resources and environment protection
Rational use of Land
Discipline and brief evolution of the profession

Evolution of Human Settlement:

Paleolithic Age
Characterized by nomads and Hunters
Shelter – Caves and Trees
Mesolithic Age
Characterized by nomads and hunters, cooked their food in outdoors
Shelter – temporary huts ade of mammoth bones followed by wood, straw, rocks etc
Neolithic Age
Characterized by Farmers and herders, houses had hearth, cooked their food in indoors.
Shelter – rectangular houses using tree trunks, woode beams with reed thatch coverings
About the origin of settlements in India:

Planning for human settlements dates back to vedic times. Different countries had different style
of planning based on which the evolutionary stages of planning is classified as
1. Ancient period (Vedic and Buddha age)
2. Hindu Period (Hindu Kings rule)
3. Medieval Period (Mughal age)
4. British Period (colonial and industrial)
5. Post-Independence period (Modern age)

1. Ancient period
Similar to Vastu-sastra in Architecture, in Vedic period Manasara shilpa sastra talks about
settlement planning. The list of few other sastras related to planning is listed below. Even from
the ancient age they follow certain principles to plan their settlement layout.

SASTRA ASPECT
Sthapatya Veda Layout of a city
Smriti Shastra Street layouts (micro and macro)
Mansara Shilpa Shastra Gram Vidhana and Nagara Vidhana
Rig Veda Advanced Vastu Shilpa
Types of settlement seen in ancient period are listed below.

Grama Sannivesa (village planning)

Griha Vinyasa (house planning)
Nagara Sannivasa (town planning)
Durga Sannivasa (planning of forts)
Prasada Vinyasa (planning of big buildings)
The concept followed in ancient town planning is as follows.
1. Place of worship and seat of Government became the main focal point of settlement planning.
2. Highly influenced by caste system, social and occupational structure.
3. Social security is given priority – Town gates are located and oriented based on cardinal
direction.
4. Specific area like markets, Handicrafts, Manufacturing areas, institutional and recreational
facilities was earmarked.
5. In ancient period the planning of villages and towns are similar and the habitat is more close
to nature.
6. Towns are furnished with better facility than village with public amenity and institutions.

An important example of this type of

development is Indus valley civilization. The
civilization flourished on the banks of River
Indus.
Harrappa, Mohen-ja-daro, Dholavira, Lothal
where few ancient settlements found.
The following image shows the location of
these settlements.
Among those settlements Harrappa is first
found and Mohenja daro, second found is the
largest settlement found in the valley.
 Fig: Public amenity in Mohen-dojaro and Harappa Layout
Indus valley Civilization:
The Indus Valley Civilisation was a
Bronze Age civilisation in the north-
western regions of South Asia, lasting
from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its
mature form from 2600 BCE to 1900
BCE. This civilization consists of large
towns and small settlements namely
Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Pathani
Damb, Dholavira, Lothal etc. Among
them Harrappa and Mohenja-daro are
the most important settlement.
2: Hindu period
Hindu period of planning is the modified plan
or updates plan of Ancient period, popularly
known as Temple towns.

During this time, large number of towns

flourished as capital towns and religious towns.
Main principle adopted in planning was to
strengthen regional linkages and Dominant
security aspects.

The layout of the city is laid and governed

under the King. During Maurga and Gupta
periods, separate urban planning and
development agencies were involved.

Few examples of Hindu period town planning is

Madurai, Srirangam, Kanchipuram,
Kumbakonam, Chidambaram etc.

Fig: Layout of Sri-ranagam settlement

Sri-rangam Planning: Planning of settlement focused predominantly on religion and Hindu culture and
philosophy, developed as a series of concentric spaces, designed with strong religious and social hierarchy.
Urban Pattern Follows Sarvatobhadra type of settlement evolved from ancient age.

The kings constructed majestic gateways over periods to display their power. Few character of Hindu
settlement planning is shown below

•The urban pattern is arranged based on community and occupation pattern.

•Fortification: Gopurams are seen as town gates, 4 concentic gateways.
•Planning of the Agraharams followed a grid iron or concentric ring patterns, with the temple forming the
main focus.
•The temple, besides a shrine for the Worship, has generated many activities which in turn, acted as the
dynamic factor determining the physical, socio cultural and economic Profile of the city.
•Public and semipublic activity such as institutions, temples, Palaces, social gathering space is planning in the
inner core of the city.
•House type: Row house with pitched roof – single or double storey.
•Main activity in the city: trading, cultural festive, education and administrative function.
•Street pattern: volume and character of the street network change when we move from periphery to the
center of the temple.
•The patterns in which the ramparts are built with roads leads through the gopuram emphasize the
centrality of the temple.
3: MEDIVAL PERIOD
During this period, a large number of kingdoms flourished in the region. Great cities were developed and
prospered. Few of the special features of medival town planning sre shown below;
Persians came to india and flourished their prosperity in India.
Mix of Persian and Indian type of planning is observed.
Religion, military & politics formed the basis of city planning.
Town planned based on location of Place of worship, Royal Gardens, Baghs and Bazars.
Love for symmetry and axial planning.
Enriched with beauty in the skyline of the town.

Medieval towns, whether in India or anywhere else, were walled, encircled by an outside moat. The town
resembled “an island when its gates were locked at sundown” (forts and defense system).

This age is highly influenced by Muslium, hence also known as muslim period. The way they used to plan is
the combination of Indian style and Arabic (Mughal style). By Shah Jahan‟s time, the Muslims in India had
partially Indianized. Under the Mughals, they were mainly an urban community, and there life was closely
linked to religious event, as well as to ceremonies and festivals or ritual events Few examples of Medival
period of town planning are Jodhpur, Varanasi, Shahjahanabad, Jaipur etc.
Planning of Shahjahanabad:
• Planning under the reign of Shah Jahan.
• The city was planned according to hindu planning „Karmuka‟ of shilpashastra from vastu-shastra.
• The Mughal system of planning was based on give and take. Private enterprise and individual initiative also
became part of planning
• At the centre of this settlement was Qila-i-Mubarak, the palace-fortress.
• The city was encircled with a 14 walls and forts.
• Jama Masjid was constructed on an elevated site near the fort.
• Two main boulevards cross perpendicularly and the junction of the two main axes is the most auspicious
point in the whole region
• Streets were narrow and crooked. Two major streets developed as commercial arteries.
• The arm of the archer was Chandni Chowk.
• The junction of the two main axes is the most auspicious point in the whole regionand was therefore the
red fort.
4: BRITISH PERIOD
The organized efforts for the Town Planning started during British period, which not only provided legal
support, but also provided a guideline for preparing planning proposals. The planning evolved in two phase:
(A) up to 19th century – Industrial era ; (B) 20th century up to 1947.

In Industrial era, port cities and industrial cities were developed to boost the economic and trading activity.
An industrial town is a city where the economic system is based on the industry, such as a mining town.

An area where workers of a monolithic heavy industry live within walking-distance of their places of work is
the general character of Industrial era. In 1750, India produced nearly 25 % of the world's manufacturing
output. Coal mining was a profitable business during British colonial times.

Few major industrial developments are textile industry, Bengal Iron Works, Tata Steel in 1907 and
automobile industry. Few examples of Industrial city are Mining Industry (Neyveli); Textile Industry
(Thirupur); Steel Industry (Jhamshedpur); Automobile Industry (Mahendra city). Major Port city in India is
Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. Port cities are the major colony for the british and European administration.
Port city: Madras and Bombay
Few characters of British period of town planning (port city) are shown below;

Migration in large quantity to cities in search of work as industries was introduced.

No proper planning resulted in Laissez faire manner of development..
Crowed settlements leading to unhygienic environment.
British settlements were known as „white towns‟ furnished with wider streets and palatial halls and gardens
Introduction of railway.
Transportation networks are widening.
Distraction of natural resources.
Formation of white town and black town.
Change in built environment.
Poor sanitation.

The first efforts of modern town planning in India had originated in 1864 with the appointment of the
Sanitary Commission in these erstwhile presidencies of Madras, Bombay and Bengal.

Phase (B): PRE INDEPENDENCE CITY - Trade and colonization happened in hand be hand.

The city is characterise by

Increased population,
Change in Architecture and Urban structure.
Introduction of development commissions, authority and acts to control the development.
Few examples of Pre independent city are Surat, Mumbai, Delhi.

Table: Development commissions, authority and acts during this period

New Delhi - planning
• Lutyens' Delhi is an area in New Delhi.
• Named after the leading British architect Edwin Lutyens (1869–1944), who was responsible for much of the
architectural design and building when India was part of the British Empire in the 1920s and 1930s.
• City planned central administrative area
• Reserved one-third of area - green space.
• At the heart of the city was the impressive Rashtrapati Bhawan (Viceroy's House), located on the top of
Raisina Hill.
• The Rajpath, also known as King's Way, connects India Gate to Rashtrapati Bhawan.
• Janpath, which crosses it at a right angle, connects South End Road (renamed as Rajesh Pilot Marg) with
Connaught Place.

• Rashtrapati Bhavan - 340-rooms in main building that includes president's official residence, halls, guest
rooms and offices, ncludes huge presidential gardens, large open spaces, residences of bodyguards and staff,
stables, other offices and utilities within its perimeter walls.

• Parliament House- Originally called the House of Parliament.

• Connaught Place- financial, commercial and business centres, having two floors, which made almost a
complete circle intended to commercial establishments on the ground with residential space on the first
floor.

• India Gate is a war memorial located astride the Rajpath, on the eastern edge of the „ceremonial axis‟ of
New Delhi, formerly called Kingsway. India gate is a memorial to 82,000 soldiers of the undivided Indian
Army who died in the period 1914– 21 in the First World War.
• Lodhi Gardens- city park Spread over 90 acres contains, Mohammed Shah's Tomb.
5: Post Independent Period
After independence, Nehru‟s vision to build India into a developed country made the basic foundation for
the development of cities. New Objective of India‟s development were developed which is shown below
To establish a socialistic pattern of society through
Economic growth with self – reliance
Social justice & Alleviation of poverty
Establishment of Planning Commision
Introduction of five year plans .

Example: Bhubaneswar town by Architect – Otto H Konigsberger (1946), Chandigarh city by Architect – Le
Corbusier; Gandhi Nagar (Gujarat) by Architect – H K Mewada & Prakash M Apte (1960s); Navi Mumbai by
Architect/Planner – CIDCO (1972).
From this age, Professional town planners were recognized for planning the city layout with suitable land
uses, street network and green cover. One of the best examples is the planning of Chandigrah by Le
Corbusior.
Period Planning legislation

Ancient Slipa sastra

Hindu Modified Slipa sastra

Medieval Indo Persian rule and laws

British Start of Planning commission :

Sanitary Commission.

Modern Standardized and common

planning legislation started
Regularized through 5-years plan
following Master plan, Regional
plan, Action plan, etc
ELEMENTS OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
Human and his settlement:

Basic need of human is food and water,

Clothing and third comes the shelter. The
group of shelter combines to be known as
settlement. Living in groups gave better
security to life and property of human and also
helped in attaining shared services.

In Ekistics, Human settlement is classified by

1. Man’s five Environmental element
2. Relative to Scale
3. Ekistics Function
4. Evolutionary phase
5. By factors and discipline
• The whole range of human settlements,
is a very complex system of five elements
- nature, man, society, shells (that is,
buildings), and networks.

• It is a system of natural, social, and

man-made elements which can be seen
in many ways - economic, social,
political, technological, and cultural.